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CWAH, young leaders, treat seniors to Christmas gifts

Marguere "Marge" Chamberlin, center, receives a late Christmas present, a fleece blanket, from Jacklyn Berry, left, and Ellis Mack of Marion Senior Services at her home in the Stonecrest subdivision in Summerfield, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2012. Marion Senior Services is delivering the last of Christmas gifts for their clients. Community With A Heart gave $300 to finish up the agency's Christmas giving. Emerging Leaders of Ocala donated gifts for 110 clients. The remaining seven are being covered with this $300 donation. Gifts are still being delivered.

Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner

By Marian RizzoCorrespondent

Published: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 11:28 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at 11:28 a.m.

Her eyes sparkling with delight, Marguere "Marge" Chamberlin reached into a silver patterned gift bag and pulled out a large soft throw, a belated Christmas gift provided through donations to Marion Senior Services.

Facts

How to help

To donate to Community With A Heart, send checks to the Marion County Community Development Corporation, 1321 SE 25th Loop, Ocala FL 34471.

Donations are tax deductible. All funds go directly to help people in Marion County.

Jackie Berry, Chamberlin's case manager, and Ellis Mack, a trainee, delivered the gift bag to her on Tuesday. It also contained a daily planner and a Christmas card with a cheerful snowman on the front.

"That's good, because I'm cold all the time," Chamberlin said as she cuddled the throw. "You couldn't have bought me anything that I'd like better than this."

As a client of Marion Senior Services, Chamberlin also receives regular deliveries of protein drinks and in-home services by Experienced Care, a contracted home health care agency. Chamberlin, 88, said these services helped her maintain her independence after her husband, Lee, died in 2001.

"My main thing is trying to stay in this house," she said. "Otherwise, I'd have to go into a nursing home."

Chamberlin was among 117 clients who received Christmas presents through Marion Senior Services this year. Jemith Rosa, community care director of the agency, said about 25 percent of the agency's clients receive Christmas bags.

"We have to pick the most needy people and the ones that don't have family to be with them during the holidays," said Rosa.

The program started about 15 years ago with a senior Christmas tree at Paddock Mall. Five years ago, they stopped setting up a tree and depended on donations from such groups as United Way. Over the past three years, most of the gifts have come from the Giving Tree program of Emerging Leaders Ocala, a group of 250 young professionals. This year, they raised $4,000, with $500 coming from their participation in the Hero Rush obstacle race. With those funds they were able to provide Christmas gifts for 110 Marion Senior Services clients.

The remaining seven clients received gifts through a $300 Community With A Heart donation. Rosa said she went shopping for gifts the Friday before Christmas. Chamberlin was the last client to receive a gift bag.

In addition to annual donations from Community With A Heart, Rosa said the program's success has depended on the generosity of Emerging Leaders Ocala.

"We are very confident that when we send our requests to them that at least 90 percent of the clients' requests will be fulfilled," Rosa said.

The group's Giving Tree project was coordinated by Hema Rupnarain, a local CPA and treasurer of Emerging Leaders Ocala. She said they wanted to target a neglected group of people for their holiday giving project.

"It's natural for everyone to think about children during the holidays, but nobody focuses on the seniors," Rupnarain said. "Seniors also look forward to the holidays and opening up a gift on Christmas Day, just like kids do, so we felt like that would be an organization we would work with every year. It's great we have a lot of organizations that do help the kids, but I think it's also important to focus on these seniors that don't have anybody."

Rupnarain said the clients ranged from 56 years old to one woman who is 102. While the men typically ask for shaving cream and razors, the women had a variety of requests.

"Their needs are so very basic," Rupnarain said. "They asked for robes, laundry soap, food for their pets, slippers and blankets. Pajamas are popular. One lady asked for bathroom cleaning supplies.

"We got an email from Marion Senior Services that said some of the clients were so overwhelmed by receiving the things they asked for that they cried when they opened their package."

<p>Her eyes sparkling with delight, Marguere "Marge" Chamberlin reached into a silver patterned gift bag and pulled out a large soft throw, a belated Christmas gift provided through donations to Marion Senior Services.</p><p>Jackie Berry, Chamberlin's case manager, and Ellis Mack, a trainee, delivered the gift bag to her on Tuesday. It also contained a daily planner and a Christmas card with a cheerful snowman on the front.</p><p>"That's good, because I'm cold all the time," Chamberlin said as she cuddled the throw. "You couldn't have bought me anything that I'd like better than this."</p><p>As a client of Marion Senior Services, Chamberlin also receives regular deliveries of protein drinks and in-home services by Experienced Care, a contracted home health care agency. Chamberlin, 88, said these services helped her maintain her independence after her husband, Lee, died in 2001.</p><p>"My main thing is trying to stay in this house," she said. "Otherwise, I'd have to go into a nursing home."</p><p>Chamberlin was among 117 clients who received Christmas presents through Marion Senior Services this year. Jemith Rosa, community care director of the agency, said about 25 percent of the agency's clients receive Christmas bags.</p><p>"We have to pick the most needy people and the ones that don't have family to be with them during the holidays," said Rosa.</p><p>The program started about 15 years ago with a senior Christmas tree at Paddock Mall. Five years ago, they stopped setting up a tree and depended on donations from such groups as United Way. Over the past three years, most of the gifts have come from the Giving Tree program of Emerging Leaders Ocala, a group of 250 young professionals. This year, they raised $4,000, with $500 coming from their participation in the Hero Rush obstacle race. With those funds they were able to provide Christmas gifts for 110 Marion Senior Services clients.</p><p>The remaining seven clients received gifts through a $300 Community With A Heart donation. Rosa said she went shopping for gifts the Friday before Christmas. Chamberlin was the last client to receive a gift bag.</p><p>In addition to annual donations from Community With A Heart, Rosa said the program's success has depended on the generosity of Emerging Leaders Ocala.</p><p>"We are very confident that when we send our requests to them that at least 90 percent of the clients' requests will be fulfilled," Rosa said.</p><p>The group's Giving Tree project was coordinated by Hema Rupnarain, a local CPA and treasurer of Emerging Leaders Ocala. She said they wanted to target a neglected group of people for their holiday giving project.</p><p>"It's natural for everyone to think about children during the holidays, but nobody focuses on the seniors," Rupnarain said. "Seniors also look forward to the holidays and opening up a gift on Christmas Day, just like kids do, so we felt like that would be an organization we would work with every year. It's great we have a lot of organizations that do help the kids, but I think it's also important to focus on these seniors that don't have anybody."</p><p>Rupnarain said the clients ranged from 56 years old to one woman who is 102. While the men typically ask for shaving cream and razors, the women had a variety of requests.</p><p>"Their needs are so very basic," Rupnarain said. "They asked for robes, laundry soap, food for their pets, slippers and blankets. Pajamas are popular. One lady asked for bathroom cleaning supplies.</p><p>"We got an email from Marion Senior Services that said some of the clients were so overwhelmed by receiving the things they asked for that they cried when they opened their package."</p><p>For information about Emerging Leaders, visit www.emergingleadersocala.com.</p><p>To donate to Marion Senior Services, visit www.mcseniorservices.com or call 620-3501.</p>